Switch-throwing device.



P. HEALY. SWITCH THROWNG DEVICE.

l APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1908.

Patented Mar. 23, i909.

'r narrar crimini PATRICK HEALY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.`

SWITCH-THROWING- DE VICE.

, Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 190e.

Application sied August' 1e, 190e. serial no. massa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK HEALY, citi zen of the United States,residing at N ew York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful lin rovements in Switch-ThrowingDevices, o which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates in general' to railways-sind moreparticularly to a novel switch operating mechanism which is especiallydesigned for use in connection with street railway lines.

Thelprimary object of the invention is Ythe provislon of a device of'this character by means of which the switch poin. may be readily thrownin either direction without the necessity of stopping the caror-dismounting therefrom, it being merely necessary to throw the properswitch operating member 4into an operative position and to reduce the'speed of the car as 41t runs through the switch. For a fullunderstanding of the invention and the merits thereofand also to acquirea knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effectingthe result, reference is to be had to the following-description andaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch con structed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on. the line 2-2 ofFig. 1 showing a car traveling upon the track, one of the switchoperating bars of the car being lowered into an operative` position.Fig. 3 is' a perspective view of the portion of the device above the`platform of the car. I

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescriptlon and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters, l

Referring to the-drawing, the numeral 1 designates the main track and 2the branch track, the usual frogs 3 and 4 being located at theintersection of the respective rails of the branch track with thecorresponding rails of the main track. The various rails are of the typecommonly employed in street railway construction, the upper surface ofthe head of. the rail being formed with a groove to 'receive the wheelflanges and a solid portion being provided upon cach side of the groove.The frog 4 embodies the usual tread members .'iwhich diverge Ifrom oneend of the frog to the opposite end. A swinging switch point 6 islocated `between the two tread members 5 of the fro and is adapted to bemoved from side to siile to admit of a car being either switched uponthe branch track or caused to continue 1n its movements upon the main'track. The tread portions 5 of the frog e are formed with Atheoppositely inf clined diagonal grooves 7 which converge inwardly towardthe swinging end of the switch point and are designed to engage switchoperating members upon the car to cause the same to throw the switchpoint as will be hereinafter more fully setY forth.

lA car 8 is adapted to travel upon the track and the front platformofthe car is or tubes 9 which project downwardly to within' about fourinches of the rail, one of the pipes being located over the rail uponeach side of the flange receiving groove therein. Loosely mounted withineach of 'the tubes 9 is a switch operating rod 10 which is normally heldin an elevated position by means of a lever 11 which is designed ftoengage a projection 12 upon the car.' However, when either of thevlevers is disengaged from the projection 12 the corresponding rod 10drops downwardl into engagement with the track and as tie car travels'forward enters the corresponding diagonal groove 7 and is deflectedthereby l intoengagement with the. switch oint so as to throw the samein the re uire direction. It will thus be obvious that y lowering theproper switch operating rod 10 the switch point may be thrown in eitherdirection and the car either switched upon the branch track or caused tocontinuev in its movements upon the main track. The switch operatingrods will tend to drop into an operative position owing to the action ofgravity as soon as the levers 11 are released, 'but under someconditions it may be found desirable to utilize springs 13 forpositively moving the rods.

Having thus described Vwhat is claimed as new is:

The combination of a main track, a branchl track, a movable switchpoint, oppositely inclined diagonal grooves being formed in the trackupon opposite 'sides of the switch point, 'and a pair of independentswitch operating members carried by the v the invention,

rolling stock for moving the svtch point g In testimon 1n eltherdnecnon, elther one of the switch 1n presence of' operatlng members when1n operatlve posiH r P X m1 Y NF u f AJ l ,1 L. S. tlon belng adapted toenter the corres 0ndk u A l y whereof l Lfix my Signat uw twowltfnesses.

'mg diagonal groove and to be defected: Witnesses:

thereby mt@ engagement with the switch W. S. HILL, pomt for thl'owlnp;th@ Sarno.

